Inspired by the Great Gatsby and vintage fashion from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, we set out to create some wall-worthy post-wedding bridal portraits for Kaitlin and James in New Haven’s iconic Ordinary bar.

A speakeasy vibe with vintage flair

When Kaitlin came to me for her post-wedding bridal shoot, I knew we were going to create something special together. She wanted to wear her wedding dress again, but also wanted a styled shoot with three different looks – 1920s Great Gatsby with lots of glamour and sparkle, 1930s elegant vintage with her actual wedding dress and 1950s with pin curls and lace.

We found the perfect location at Ordinary in New Haven, a funky bar with a long history dating back to the 1700s. During the Prohibition, the Taft Hotel, where the bar is located, had a speakeasy in the basement.

A reproduction of the hotel lobby was built in Hollywood for the F. Scott Fitzgerald based film “A Chorus Girl’s Romance” in 1920. Fitzgerald even references to the Taft in his book “The Great Gatsby.”

The elegant dark wood paneling of the walls and bar hasn’t changed in 100 years, so it fit right in with our vintage theme.

Andrea and Paul of MBD Beauty changed Kaitlin’s whole hair and makeup look for each of our three themes and Danna from The Silk Touch made several fabulous bouquets that fit right in with the decor.

After all our hard work, I’m so excited to finally share these images with you!